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The Ping Karsten plays in the big boys league, being a max game improvement iron which retails for $615/steel and $750 the graphite version. I can definitely say that the Ping Karsten irons are a rare bird, being an interesting combination between an iron and a hybrid. What does that mean? Well, this combo makes for some of the longest, most forgiving and fun to play sets of golf irons ever created by Ping, and that means a lot! The first thing that strikes you about the Karsten is the way they look. The shape, the overall design and the colors of these clubs are very subtle and understated and they can be described as “sleepers”, i.e. the high tech features incorporated into their built is mostly hidden from view. In terms of performance, the Karsten irons offer a high launch trajectory and lots of forgiveness thanks to their large and deep cavity back design.

The Karsten’s large dimensions (they’re quite long actually) inspires loads of confidence and the true muscle of these babies lies in the sole, which is wide and pretty friendly from moderate rough (and excellent around the greens). Due to the changed center of gravity in these irons you’ll be able to hit the ball from any lie while the turf interaction is just perfect and it boosts confidence. In terms of accuracy and forgiveness, the Karsten irons are fairly easy to hit straight and they can be described as exceptional when it comes to salvaging the yards on those mediocre hits we all experienced at some point during the game. In terms of feel/feedback, these are exceptionally balanced irons which offer great stability throughout the swing and they’re actually softer than one would expect from a Ping iron. Bottom line, the Ping Karsten irons are among the best in their niche, being very solid all-round performers, dependable and with a decent price tag.